Introductory material (continued 18)

Natural resources:

fish

Land use:

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

Mawson Peak on Heard Island is the highest Australian mountain (at 2,745 meters, it is taller than Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia proper), and one of only two active volcanoes located in Australian territory, the other being McDonald Island; in 1992, McDonald Island broke its dormancy and began erupting; it has erupted several times since, the most recent being in 2005

People Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Population:

uninhabited

Government Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Country name:

conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands abbreviation: HIMI

Dependency status:

territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

Legal system:

the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (territory of Australia)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (territory of Australia)

Flag description:

the flag of Australia is used

Economy Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Economy - overview:

The islands have no indigenous economic activity, but the Australian Government allows limited fishing in the surrounding waters.

Communications Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Internet country code:

.hm

Transportation Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Ports and terminals:

none; offshore anchorage only

Military Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols

Transnational Issues Heard Island and McDonald Islands

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Holy See (Vatican City)

Introduction Holy See (Vatican City)

Background:

Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the environment, the Middle East, China, the decline of religion in Europe, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About one billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.

Geography Holy See (Vatican City)

Location:

Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)

Geographic coordinates:

41 54 N, 12 27 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 0.44 sq km land: 0.44 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

total: 3.2 km border countries: Italy 3.2 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)

Terrain:

urban; low hill

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: unnamed location 19 m highest point: unnamed location 75 m

Natural resources:

none

Land use:

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

NA

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Climate Change signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification

Geography - note:

landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; beyond the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the Lateran Treaty of 1929 grants the Holy See extraterritorial authority over 23 sites in Rome and five outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo (the Pope's summer residence)

People Holy See (Vatican City)

Population:

824 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.003% (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: none adjective: none

Ethnic groups:

Italians, Swiss, other

Religions:

Roman Catholic

Languages:

Italian, Latin, French, various other languages

Literacy:

definition: NA total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%

Government Holy See (Vatican City)

Country name:

conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City) conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano) local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)

Government type:

ecclesiastical

Capital:

name: Vatican City geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

none

Independence:

11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century

National holiday:

Coronation Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 24 April (2005)

Constitution:

new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929)

Legal system:

based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it

Suffrage:

limited to cardinals less than 80 years old

Executive branch:

chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005) head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio BERTONE (since 15 September 2006) cabinet: Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City appointed by the pope elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI

Legislative branch:

unicameral Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City

Judicial branch:

there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pope PIUS XII on 1 May 1946

Political parties and leaders:

none

Political pressure groups and leaders:

none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)

International organization participation:

CE (observer), IAEA, Interpol, IOM (observer), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO (observer), UPU, WFTU, WIPO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro SAMBI chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121 FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Ann GLENDON embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346

Flag description:

two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the arms of the Holy See, consisting of the crossed keys of Saint Peter surmounted by the three-tiered papal tiara, centered in the white band

Economy Holy See (Vatican City)

Economy - overview:

This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world; by the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$NA

Labor force:

NA

Labor force - by occupation:

note: essentially services with a small amount of industry; nearly all dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and the approximately 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Budget:

revenues: $310 million expenditures: $307 million (2006)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Industries:

printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities

Electricity - production:

NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:

NA kWh

Electricity - imports:

NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy

Currency (code):

euro (EUR)

Currency code:

EUR

Exchange rates:

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)

Communications Holy See (Vatican City)

Telephones - main lines in use:

5,120 (2005)

Telephone system:

general assessment: automatic digital exchange domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network international: country code - 39; uses Italian system

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 2 (2004)

Radios:

NA

Television broadcast stations:

1 (2005)

Televisions:

NA

Internet country code:

.va

Internet hosts:

55 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

NA

Internet users:

93 (2000)

Military Holy See (Vatican City)

Military branches:

Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia) (2007)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard

Transnational Issues Holy See (Vatican City)

Disputes - international:

none

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Honduras

Introduction Honduras

Background:

Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage.

Geography Honduras

Location:

Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean), between El Salvador and Nicaragua

Geographic coordinates:

15 00 N, 86 30 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 112,090 sq km land: 111,890 sq km water: 200 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Tennessee

Land boundaries:

total: 1,520 km border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua 922 km

Coastline:

820 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm

Climate:

subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains

Terrain:

mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m

Natural resources:

timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 9.53% permanent crops: 3.21% other: 87.26% (2005)

Irrigated land:

800 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

95.9 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.86 cu km/yr (8%/12%/80%) per capita: 119 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast

Environment - current issues:

urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands; mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest source of fresh water), as well as several rivers and streams, with heavy metals

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline, including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast

People Honduras

Population:

7,639,327 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 38.7% (male 1,508,835/female 1,446,530) 15-64 years: 57.8% (male 2,210,187/female 2,203,620) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 121,839/female 148,316) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 20 years male: 19.7 years female: 20.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.024% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

26.93 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 24.61 deaths/1,000 live births male: 27.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 69.37 years male: 67.81 years female: 71.01 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.38 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

63,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

4,100 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Honduran(s) adjective: Honduran

Ethnic groups:

mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%

Religions:

Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%

Languages:

Spanish, Amerindian dialects

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 80% male: 79.8% female: 80.2% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 11 years male: 11 years female: 12 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

3.8% of GDP (1991)

Government Honduras

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Honduras conventional short form: Honduras local long form: Republica de Honduras local short form: Honduras

Government type:

democratic constitutional republic

Capital:

name: Tegucigalpa geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

Administrative divisions:

18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Atlantida, Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz, Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro

Independence:

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution:

11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended many times

Legal system:

rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system; accepts ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January 2006); Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez (since 27 January 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January 2006); Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez (since 27 January 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2009) election results: Jose Manuel ZELAYA Rosales elected president - 49.8%, Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa 46.1%, other 4.1%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats; members are elected proportionally to the number of votes their party's presidential candidate receives to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held in November 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL 62, PN 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU 2

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (15 judges are elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)

Political parties and leaders:

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Felicito AVILA]; Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Cesar HAM]; Liberal Party or PL [Patricia RODAS]; National Innovation and Unity Party or PINU [Jorge AQUILAR Paredes]; National Party of Honduras or PN [Porfirio LOBO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH; Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT; Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; National Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union of Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation of Honduran Workers or CUTH

International organization participation:

BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto FLORES BERMUDEZ chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-7702 FAX: [1] (202) 966-9751 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco honorary consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, Jacksonville

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo LLORENS embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa telephone: [504] 236-9320, 238-5114 FAX: [504] 238-4357

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with five blue, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band; the stars represent the members of the former Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band

Economy Honduras

Economy - overview:

Honduras, the second poorest country in Central America and one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and massive unemployment, is banking on expanded trade under the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and on debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Despite improvements in tax collections, the government's fiscal deficit is growing due to increases in current expenditures and financial losses from the state energy and telephone companies. Honduras is the fastest growing remittance destination in the region with inflows representing over a quarter of GDP, equivalent to nearly three-quarters of exports. The economy relies heavily on a narrow range of exports, notably bananas and coffee, making it vulnerable to natural disasters and shifts in commodity prices, however, investments in the maquila and non-traditional export sectors are slowly diversifying the economy. Growth remains dependent on the economy of the US, its largest trading partner, and on reduction of the high crime rate, as a means of attracting and maintaining investment.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$32.26 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$12.28 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$4,300 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 13.4% industry: 28.1% services: 58.6% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.779 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 34% industry: 23% services: 43% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:

27.8% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

50.7% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 42.2% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

53.8 (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):

30.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $2.344 billion expenditures: $2.631 billion; including capital expenditures of $106 million (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

24.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

6.9% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

NA (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

16.61% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$1.573 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$5.266 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$6.298 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp, tilapia, lobster; corn, African palm

Industries:

sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products

Industrial production growth rate:

4.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

5.753 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

4.233 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

11.8 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 50.2% hydro: 49.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

46,830 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

417.9 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

44,040 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$1.225 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$5.594 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

coffee, shrimp, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber

Exports - partners:

US 67.2%, El Salvador 4.9%, Guatemala 3.9% (2007)

Imports:

$8.556 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

US 52.4%, Guatemala 7.1%, El Salvador 5.2%, Mexico 4.5%, Costa Rica 4.2% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$680.8 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.546 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$3.411 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$NA

Currency (code):

lempira (HNL)

Currency code:

HNL

Exchange rates:

lempiras (HNL) per US dollar - 18.9 (2007), 18.895 (2006), 18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004), 17.345 (2003)

Communications Honduras

Telephones - main lines in use:

713,600 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.241 million (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: inadequate system domestic: beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage; fixed-line teledensity has increased to about 10 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone service has been increasing rapidly and subscribership in 2006 exceeded 30 per 100 persons international: country code - 504; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 fiber optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)

Radios:

2.45 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:

570,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.hn

Internet hosts:

13,370 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

8 (2000)

Internet users:

344,100 (2006)

Transportation Honduras

Airports:

112 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 12 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 100 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 83 (2007)

Railways:

total: 699 km narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 13,600 km paved: 2,775 km unpaved: 10,825 km (2000)

Waterways:

465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 123 by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 57, chemical tanker 6, container 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 25, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 42 (Bangladesh 1, Canada 1, China 3, Egypt 3, Greece 4, Hong Kong 1, Israel 1, Japan 4, South Korea 6, Lebanon 1, Mexico 1, Singapore 12, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, Vietnam 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

La Ceiba, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela

Military Honduras

Military branches:

Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary 2 to 3-year military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,868,940 females age 16-49: 1,825,770 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,359,406 females age 16-49: 1,371,418 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 90,876 female: 87,292 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues Honduras

Disputes - international:

International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El Salvador-Honduras border in 1992 with final settlement by the parties in 2006 after an Organization of American States (OAS) survey and a further ICJ ruling in 2003; the 1992 ICJ ruling advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca; Honduras claims the Belizean-administered Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize in its constitution, but agreed to a joint ecological park around the cays should Guatemala consent to a maritime corridor in the Caribbean under the OAS-sponsored 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum; memorials and countermemorials were filed by the parties in Nicaragua's 1999 and 2001 proceedings against Honduras and Colombia at the ICJ over the maritime boundary and territorial claims in the western Caribbean Sea - final public hearings are scheduled for 2007

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering activity

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Hong Kong

Introduction Hong Kong

Background:

Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.

Geography Hong Kong

Location:

Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China

Geographic coordinates:

22 15 N, 114 10 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 1,092 sq km land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km

Area - comparative:

six times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

total: 30 km regional border: China 30 km

Coastline:

733 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate:

subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall

Terrain:

hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m

Natural resources:

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Land use:

arable land: 5.05% permanent crops: 1.01% other: 93.94% (2001)

Irrigated land:

20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:

occasional typhoons

Environment - current issues:

air and water pollution from rapid urbanization

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Marine Dumping (associate member), Ship Pollution (associate member)

Geography - note:

more than 200 islands

People Hong Kong

Population:

7,018,636 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 12.6% (male 463,300/female 422,945) 15-64 years: 74.4% (male 2,535,246/female 2,684,495) 65 years and over: 13% (male 425,500/female 487,150) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 41.7 years male: 41.4 years female: 42 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.532% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

7.37 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

4.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 2.93 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 81.77 years male: 79.07 years female: 84.69 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

2,600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Chinese/Hong Konger adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong

Ethnic groups:

Chinese 95%, Filipino 1.6%, Indonesian 1.3%, other 2.1% (2006 census)

Religions:

eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%

Languages:

Chinese (Cantonese) 89.2% (official), other Chinese dialects 6.4%, English 3.2% (official), other 1.2% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 93.5% male: 96.9% female: 89.6% (2002)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 13 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.9% of GDP (2006)

Government Hong Kong

Country name:

conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conventional short form: Hong Kong local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu local short form: Xianggang abbreviation: HK

Dependency status:

special administrative region of China

Government type:

limited democracy

Administrative divisions:

none (special administrative region of China)

Independence:

none (special administrative region of China)

National holiday:

National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day

Constitution:

Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"

Legal system:

based on English common law

Suffrage:

direct election - 18 years of age for a number of non-executive positions; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election - limited to about 220,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, central government bodies, and municipal organizations

Executive branch:

chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005) cabinet: Executive Council consists of 15 official members and 16 non-official members elections: chief executive elected for five-year term by 800-member electoral committee; last held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: Donald TSANG elected chief executive receiving 84.1% of the vote of the election committee; Alan LEONG received 15.9%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; 30 seats indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 7 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by parties - pro-Beijing 37; pro-democracy 23

Judicial branch:

Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Political parties and leaders:

Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Civic Party [KUAN Hsin-chi]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [TAM Yiu Cheng]; Democratic Party [Albert HO]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing]; League of Social Democrats [Raymond WONG]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun] note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Democratic Party, Frontier Party, League of Social Democrats; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal Party, The Alliance (a group of five generally pro-government and pro-business Legco members from functional constituencies); there is no political party ordinance, so there are no registered political parties; politically active groups register as societies or companies

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance [Bernard CHARNWUT, executive committee member]

International organization participation:

ADB, APEC, BIS, ICC, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITUC, UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (special administrative region of China); Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington and two other cities carries out normal liaison and communication with the US Government and other US entities

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Consul General Joseph A. DONOVAN, Jr. consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX: [852] 2845-1598

Flag description:

red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center

Economy Hong Kong

Economy - overview:

Hong Kong has a free market economy highly dependent on international trade. In 2006, the total value of goods and services trade, including the sizable share of reexports, was equivalent to 400% of GDP. The territory has become increasingly integrated with mainland China over the past few years through trade, tourism, and financial links. The mainland has long been Hong Kong's largest trading partner, accounting for 46% of Hong Kong's total trade by value in 2006. As a result of China's easing of travel restrictions, the number of mainland tourists to the territory has surged from 4.5 million in 2001 to 13.6 million in 2006, when they outnumbered visitors from all other countries combined. Hong Kong has also established itself as the premier stock market for Chinese firms seeking to list abroad. Bolstered by several successful initial public offerings in early 2007, by September 2007 mainland companies accounted for one-third of the firms listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and more than half of the Exchange's market capitalization. During the past decade, as Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to the mainland, its service industry has grown rapidly and now accounts for 91% of the territory's GDP. Hong Kong's natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2007, despite the economy suffering two recessions during the Asian financial crisis in 1997-98 and the global downturn in 2001-02. Hong Kong continues to link its currency closely to the US dollar, maintaining an arrangement established in 1983.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$293.3 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$206.7 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$42,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 0.1% industry: 8.1% services: 91.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

3.64 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

manufacturing 6.5%, construction 2.1%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.3%, financing, insurance, and real estate 20.7%, transport and communications 7.8%, community and social services 19.5% note: above data exclude public sector (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate:

4% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

53.3 (2007)

Investment (gross fixed):

20.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $36.9 billion expenditures: $29.4 billion (FY07-08 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Public debt:

12.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

5.75% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

6.75% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$51.25 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$578.1 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$259.7 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

fresh vegetables; poultry, pork; fish

Industries:

textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks

Industrial production growth rate:

-0.8% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

36.61 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

38.02 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

4.035 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

10.96 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

293,100 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

22,420 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - imports:

314,700 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

2.69 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

2.69 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

$28.04 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$345.9 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material

Exports - partners:

China 48.7%, US 13.7%, Japan 4.5% (2007)

Imports:

$365.6 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)

Imports - partners:

China 46.3%, Japan 10%, Taiwan 7.1%, Singapore 6.8%, US 4.9%, South Korea 4.2% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$6.95 million (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$152.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$588 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$1.185 trillion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$1.027 trillion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$2.97 trillion (2007 est.)

Currency (code):

Hong Kong dollar (HKD)

Currency code:

HKD

Exchange rates:

Hong Kong dollars (HKD) per US dollar - 7.802 (2007), 7.7678 (2006), 7.7773 (2005), 7.788 (2004), 7.7868 (2003)

Communications Hong Kong

Telephones - main lines in use:

3.875 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

10.55 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network international: country code - 852; multiple international submarine cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East, and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:

4.45 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

55 (2 TV networks, each broadcasting on 2 channels) (2007)

Televisions:

1.84 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.hk

Internet hosts:

817,766 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

17 (2000)

Internet users:

3.961 million (2007)

Transportation Hong Kong

Airports:

2 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports:

5 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 2,009 km paved: 2,009 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 1,114 by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 525, cargo 142, carrier 3, chemical tanker 68, combination ore/oil 2, container 205, liquefied gas 22, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 114, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 9, vehicle carrier 7 foreign-owned: 703 (Belgium 3, Canada 44, China 324, Denmark 24, France 1, Germany 6, Greece 22, Indonesia 7, Iran 15, Japan 111, South Korea 3, Norway 40, Philippines 1, Portugal 1, Russia 2, Singapore 18, Syria 1, Taiwan 11, UAE 1, UK 39, US 29) registered in other countries: 357 (Bahamas 30, Bermuda 4, Cambodia 8, China 12, Cyprus 2, Georgia 2, Honduras 1, India 1, Jamaica 1, Kiribati 4, Liberia 44, Malaysia 14, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 4, Mexico 1, Netherlands Antilles 2, Norway 20, Panama 130, Philippines 1, Portugal 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Seychelles 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 47, Tuvalu 7, UK 2, Vietnam 1, unknown 8) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Hong Kong

Military Hong Kong

Military branches:

no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,772,820 females age 16-49: 1,941,448 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,438,165 females age 16-49: 1,561,252 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 42,173 female: 38,753 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

NA

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of China

Transnational Issues Hong Kong

Disputes - international:

none

Illicit drugs:

despite strenuous law enforcement efforts, faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Hungary

Introduction Hungary

Background:

Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.

Geography Hungary

Location:

Central Europe, northwest of Romania

Geographic coordinates:

47 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 93,030 sq km land: 92,340 sq km water: 690 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Indiana

Land boundaries:

total: 2,185 km border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia 166 km, Slovakia 676 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km

Coastline:

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:

none (landlocked)

Climate:

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Terrain:

mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Tisza River 78 m highest point: Kekes 1,014 m

Natural resources:

bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 49.58% permanent crops: 2.06% other: 48.36% (2005)

Irrigated land:

2,300 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

120 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 21.03 cu km/yr (9%/59%/32%) per capita: 2,082 cu m/yr (2001)

Environment - current issues:

the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU requirements will require large investments

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions

People Hungary

Population:

9,930,915 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 15.2% (male 774,092/female 730,485) 15-64 years: 69.3% (male 3,393,630/female 3,488,011) 65 years and over: 15.6% (male 559,483/female 985,214) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 39.1 years male: 36.8 years female: 41.8 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.254% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

9.59 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

12.99 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 8.03 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 73.18 years male: 69 years female: 77.62 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.34 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

2,800 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 100 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Hungarian(s) adjective: Hungarian

Ethnic groups:

Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census)

Religions:

Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated 14.5% (2001 census)

Languages:

Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.4% male: 99.5% female: 99.3% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 15 years male: 15 years female: 16 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

5.5% of GDP (2005)

Government Hungary

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Hungary conventional short form: Hungary local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag local short form: Magyarorszag

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Budapest geographic coordinates: 47 30 N, 19 05 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 23 urban counties (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros) counties: Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala urban counties: Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Erd, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg capital city: Budapest

Independence:

25 December 1000 (crowning of King STEPHEN I, traditional founding date)

National holiday:

Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August

Constitution:

18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997 amendment streamlined the judicial system

Legal system:

based on the German-Austrian legal system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005) head of government: Prime Minister Ferenc GYURCSANY (since 29 September 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; other ministers proposed by the prime minister and appointed and relieved of their duties by the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 6-7 June 2005 (next to be held by June 2010); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held 29 September 2004 election results: Laszlo SOLYOM elected president by a simple majority in the third round of voting, 185 to 182; Ferenc GYURCSANY elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 197 to 12 note: to be elected, the president must win two-thirds of legislative vote in the first two rounds or a simple majority in the third round

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and direct representation to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 9 and 23 April 2006 (next to be held in April 2010) election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - MSzP 43.2%, Fidesz-KDNP 42%, SzDSz 6.5%, MDF 5%, other 3.3%; seats by party - MSzP 190, Fidesz-KDNP 164, SzDSz 20, MDF 11, independent 1; seats by party as of September 2008 - MSzP 189, Fidesz-KDNP 162, SzDSz 20, MDF 11, independent 3, vacant 1

Judicial branch:

Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Gabor FODOR]; Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]; Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP [Ferenc GYURCSANY]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Air Work Group (works to reduce air pollution in towns and cities); Company For Freedom Rights (Tarsasag a Szabadsagjogokert) or TASZ (personal data protection); Danube Circle (protests the building of the Gabchikovo-Nagymaros dam); Green Future (protests the impact of lead contamination of local factory on health of the people); environmentalists: Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (Magyar Madartani Egyesulet)or MME; Green Alternative (Zold Alternativa)

International organization participation:

Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Ferenc SOMOGYI chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador April H. FOLEY embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270 telephone: [36] (1) 475-4400 FAX: [36] (1) 475-4764

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green

Economy Hungary

Economy - overview:

Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with a per capita income nearly two-thirds that of the EU-25 average. The private sector accounts for more than 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling more than $60 billion since 1989. Hungary issues investment-grade sovereign debt. International observers, however, have expressed concerns over Hungary's fiscal and current account deficits. In 2007, Hungary eliminated a trade deficit that had persisted for several years. Inflation declined from 14% in 1998 to a low of 3.7% in 2006, but jumped to 7.8% in 2007. Unemployment has persisted above 6%. Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57% is one of the lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Germany is by far Hungary's largest economic partner. Policy challenges include cutting the public sector deficit to 4% of GDP by 2008, from about 6% in 2007. The government's austerity program of tax hikes and subsidy cuts has reduced Hungary's large budget deficit, but the reforms have dampened domestic consumption, slowing GDP growth to about 2% in 2007. The government will need to pass additional reforms to ensure the long-term stability of public finances. The government plans to eventually lower its public sector deficit to below 3% of GDP to adopt the euro.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$191.7 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$138.4 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

1.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$19,300 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 2.8% industry: 31.5% services: 65.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

4.19 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 5.5% industry: 33.3% services: 61.2% (2003)

Unemployment rate:

7.3% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

8.6% (1993 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 22.2% (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

28 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

20.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $64 billion expenditures: $71.87 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

67% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

8% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

7.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

9.09% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$36.78 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$43.07 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$109.5 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products

Industries:

mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles

Industrial production growth rate:

3.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

37.66 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

37.11 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

10.69 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

14.68 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 60.1% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 39% other: 0.3% (2001)

Oil - production:

32,580 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

162,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

66,660 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

178,400 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

20.18 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

2.545 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

13.36 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

138 million cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

10.45 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

8.098 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$8.018 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$87.77 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003)

Exports - partners:

Germany 28.1%, Italy 5.6%, France 4.7%, Austria 4.6%, Romania 4.5%, UK 4.5%, Slovakia 4.2%, Poland 4.2% (2007)

Imports:

$86.88 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003)

Imports - partners:

Germany 26.6%, China 7.8%, Russia 6.9%, Austria 6.1%, Italy 4.5%, France 4.3%, Netherlands 4.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$302.6 million (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$24.05 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$125.9 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$108.6 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$45.54 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$41.93 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

forint (HUF)

Currency code:

HUF

Exchange rates:

forints (HUF) per US dollar - 186.16 (2007), 210.39 (2006), 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004), 224.31 (2003)

Communications Hungary

Telephones - main lines in use:

3.251 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

11.03 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was initiated in 1996; competition among mobile-cellular service providers has led to a sharp increase in the use of mobile cellular phones since 2000 and a decrease in the number of fixed-line connections international: country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios:

7.01 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

35 (plus 161 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

4.42 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.hu

Internet hosts:

1.879 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

16 (2000)

Internet users:

4.2 million (2007)

Transportation Hungary

Airports:

46 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 26 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 10 (2007)

Heliports:

5 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 4,397 km; oil 990 km; refined products 335 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 8,057 km broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified) narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 159,568 km paved: 70,050 km (30,874 km of interurban roads including 626 km of expressways) unpaved: 89,518 km (2005)

Waterways:

1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003)

Military Hungary

Military branches:

Ground Forces, Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Legiero, ML) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in June 2004; 6-month service obligation, with reserve obligation to age 50 (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,391,400 females age 16-49: 2,337,240 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,890,105 females age 16-49: 1,943,422 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 62,197 female: 59,267 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.75% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Hungary

Disputes - international:

bilateral government, legal, technical and economic working group negotiations continue in 2006 with Slovakia over Hungary's failure to complete its portion of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary has implemented the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and methamphetamine; efforts to counter money laundering, related to organized crime and drug trafficking, are improving, but remain vulnerable; significant consumer of ecstasy

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Iceland

Introduction Iceland

Background:

Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards.

Geography Iceland

Location:

Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK

Geographic coordinates:

65 00 N, 18 00 W

Map references:

Arctic Region

Area:

total: 103,000 sq km land: 100,250 sq km water: 2,750 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Kentucky

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

4,970 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers

Terrain:

mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)

Natural resources:

fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite

Land use:

arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Total renewable water resources:

170 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.17 cu km/yr (34%/66%/0%) per capita: 567 cu m/yr (2003)

Natural hazards:

earthquakes and volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:

water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe

People Iceland

Population:

304,367 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 21% (male 32,500/female 31,566) 15-64 years: 67% (male 103,231/female 100,545) 65 years and over: 12% (male 16,530/female 19,995) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 34.8 years male: 34.4 years female: 35.3 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.783% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

13.5 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 3.25 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.39 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 80.55 years male: 78.43 years female: 82.76 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.91 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

220 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Icelander(s) adjective: Icelandic

Ethnic groups:

homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%

Religions:

Lutheran Church of Iceland 82.1%, Roman Catholic Church 2.4%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.3%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.6%, other Christian 2.8%, other religions 0.9%, unaffiliated 2.6%, other or unspecified 5.5% (2006 est.)

Languages:

Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 18 years male: 17 years female: 19 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

7.6% of GDP (2004)

Government Iceland

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Iceland conventional short form: Iceland local long form: Lydveldid Island local short form: Island

Government type:

constitutional republic

Capital:

name: Reykjavik geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland

Independence:

1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 17 June (1944)

Constitution:

16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times

Legal system:

civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Geir H. HAARDE (since 7 June 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: president, largely a ceremonial post, is elected by popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held 26 June 2004 (next to be held in June 2008); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON 85.6%, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 12 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party 36.6%, Social Democratic Alliance 26.8%, Progressive Party 11.7%, Left-Green Movement 14.3%, Liberal Party 7.3%, other 3.3%; seats by party - Independence Party 25, Social Democratic Alliance 18, Progressive Party 7, Left-Green Alliance 9, Liberal Party 4

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)

Political parties and leaders:

Independence Party or IP [Geir H. HAARDE]; Left-Green Movement or LGM [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Gudni AGUSTSSON]; Social Democratic Alliance or SDA [Ingibjorg Solrun GISLADOTTIR] (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List)

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Icelandic Psychiatric Human Rights Group

International organization participation:

Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Albert JONSSON chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653 FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656 consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Carol VAN VOORST embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640 telephone: [354] 562-9100 FAX: [354] 562-9118

Flag description:

blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Iceland

Economy - overview:

Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 6% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Substantial foreign investment in the aluminum and hydropower sectors has boosted economic growth which, nevertheless, has been volatile and characterized by recurrent imbalances. Government policies include reducing the current account deficit, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, and diversifying the economy. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. The 2006 closure of the US military base at Keflavik had very little impact on the national economy; Iceland's low unemployment rate aided former base employees in finding alternate employment.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$12.19 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$20 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.8% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$40,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 5.2% industry: 25.7% services: 69.1% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

181,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 5.1% industry: 23% services: 71.8% (2005)

Unemployment rate:

1% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

25 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

27.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $9.64 billion expenditures: $8.602 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

27.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

5.1% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

15.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

19.29% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$6.64 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$15.05 billion (31 December 2006)

Stock of domestic credit:

$49.67 billion (31 December 2006)

Agriculture - products:

potatoes, green vegetables; mutton, dairy products; fish

Industries:

fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production; geothermal power, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

9% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

11.71 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

9.312 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 82.5% nuclear: 0% other: 17.5% (geothermal) (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

21,120 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

860.8 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

17,450 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$3.189 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$4.793 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products, ferrosilicon, diatomite

Exports - partners:

Netherlands 21.3%, Germany 13.3%, UK 13.2%, Ireland 7.7%, US 7.3%, Spain 4.6%, Japan 4.3% (2007)

Imports:

$6.181 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles

Imports - partners:

US 13.7%, Germany 12.2%, Sweden 10.2%, Denmark 7.5%, Netherlands 5.7%, UK 5.4%, China 5.1%, Norway 4.6% (2007)

Economic aid - donor:

$6.7 million (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.436 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$3.073 billion (2002)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$27.8 billion (2005)

Currency (code):

Icelandic krona (ISK)

Currency code:

ISK

Exchange rates:

Icelandic kronur (ISK) per US dollar - 63.391 (2007), 70.195 (2006), 62.982 (2005), 70.192 (2004), 76.709 (2003)

Communications Iceland

Telephones - main lines in use:

186,700 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

347,500 (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is modern and fully digitized, with satellite-earth stations, fiber-optic cables, and an extensive broadband network domestic: liberalization of the telecommunications sector beginning in the late 1990s has led to increased competition especially in the mobile services segment of the market international: country code - 354; the CANTAT-3 and FARICE-1 submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Canada, the Faroe Islands, UK, Denmark, and Germany; a planned new section of the Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable will provide additional connectivity to Canada, US, and Ireland; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

260,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

14 (plus 156 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:

98,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.is

Internet hosts:

263,980 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

20 (2001)

Internet users:

202,300 (2007)

Transportation Iceland

Airports:

99 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 94 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 63 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 13,058 km paved/oiled gravel: 4,397 km (does not include urban roads) unpaved: 8,661 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

total: 2 by type: passenger/cargo 2 registered in other countries: 37 (Antigua and Barbuda 12, Bahamas 1, Belize 2, Denmark 2, Faroe Islands 1, Gibraltar 1, Malta 5, Marshall Islands 3, Norway 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Reykjavik

Military Iceland

Military branches:

no regular military forces; Icelandic National Police (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 74,896 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 62,342 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 2,393 female: 2,317 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

0% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military - note:

Iceland has no standing military force; under a 1951 bilateral agreement - still valid - its defense was provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik; however, all US military forces in Iceland were withdrawn as of October 2006; although wartime defense of Iceland remains a NATO commitment, in April 2007, Iceland and Norway signed a bilateral agreement providing for Norwegian aerial surveillance and defense of Icelandic airspace (2008)

Transnational Issues Iceland

Disputes - international:

Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@India

Introduction India

Background:

Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated onto the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkic in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons testing in 1998 caused Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. The dispute between the countries over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.

Geography India

Location:

Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan

Geographic coordinates:

20 00 N, 77 00 E

Map references:

Asia

Area:

total: 3,287,590 sq km land: 2,973,190 sq km water: 314,400 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly more than one-third the size of the US

Land boundaries:

total: 14,103 km border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km

Coastline:

7,000 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:

varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north

Terrain:

upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m

Natural resources:

coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 48.83% permanent crops: 2.8% other: 48.37% (2005)

Irrigated land:

558,080 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

1,907.8 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 645.84 cu km/yr (8%/5%/86%) per capita: 585 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal

People India

Population:

1,147,995,904 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 31.5% (male 189,238,487/female 172,168,306) 15-64 years: 63.3% (male 374,157,581/female 352,868,003) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 28,285,796/female 31,277,725) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 25.1 years male: 24.7 years female: 25.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.578% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

22.22 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 32.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 36.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 69.25 years male: 66.87 years female: 71.9 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.76 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.9% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

5.1 million (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

310,000 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: chikungunya, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Indian(s) adjective: Indian

Ethnic groups:

Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)

Religions:

Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)

Languages:

Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9% note: English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language (2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 61% male: 73.4% female: 47.8% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 10 years male: 11 years female: 9 years (2005)

Education expenditures:

3.2% of GDP (2005)

Government India

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of India conventional short form: India local long form: Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya local short form: India/Bharat

Government type:

federal republic

Capital:

name: New Delhi geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Puducherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal

Independence:

15 August 1947 (from UK)

National holiday:

Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

Constitution:

26 January 1950; amended many times

Legal system:

based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Pratibha PATIL (since 25 July 2007); Vice President Hamid ANSARI (since 11 August 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since 22 May 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 21 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 12 August 2002 (next to be held August 2007); prime minister chosen by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held May 2009) election results: Pratibha PATIL elected president; percent of vote - 65.8%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT - 34.2%

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members up to 12 of whom are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May 2004 (next must be held by May 2009) election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - INC 147, BJP 129, CPI (M) 43, SP 38, RJD 23, DMK 16, BSP 15, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 10, JD (U) 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, TDP 4, TRS 4, independent 6, other 29, vacant 13; note - seats by party as of December 2006

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")

Political parties and leaders:

Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Rajnath SINGH]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India-Marxist or CPI-M [Prakash KARAT]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]; Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) [Sharad YADAV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [Shibu SOREN]; Left Front (an alliance of Indian leftist parties); Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [Ram Vilas PASWAN]; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [V. Gopalswamy VAIKO]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [S. RAMADOSS]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [Parkash Singh BADAL]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY]; Telangana Rashtriya Samithi or TRS [K. Chandrashekhar RAO]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]; United Progressive Alliance or UPA [Sonia GANDHI] (India's ruling party coalition of 12 political parties); note - India has dozens of national and regional political parties; only parties or coalitions with four or more seats in the People's Assembly are listed

Political pressure groups and leaders:

All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley (separatist group); Bajrang Dal (religious organization); National Socialist Council of Nagaland in the northeast (separatist group); Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (religious organization); Vishwa Hindu Parishad (religious organization other: numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy

International organization participation:

ADB, AfDB (nonregional members), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, C, CERN (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000 FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [91] (011) 2419-8000 FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017 consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay)

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band

Economy India

Economy - overview:

India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for more than half of India's output with less than one third of its labor force. About three-fifths of the work force is in agriculture, leading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to articulate an economic reform program that includes developing basic infrastructure to improve the lives of the rural poor and boost economic performance. The government has reduced controls on foreign trade and investment. Higher limits on foreign direct investment were permitted in a few key sectors, such as telecommunications. However, tariff spikes in sensitive categories, including agriculture, and incremental progress on economic reforms still hinder foreign access to India's vast and growing market. Privatization of government-owned industries remains stalled and continues to generate political debate; populist pressure from within the UPA government and from its Left Front allies continues to restrain needed initiatives. The economy has posted an average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1997, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India achieved 8.5% GDP growth in 2006, and again in 2007, significantly expanding production of manufactures. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a major exporter of software services and software workers. Economic expansion has helped New Delhi continue to make progress in reducing its federal fiscal deficit. However, strong growth combined with easy consumer credit and a real estate boom fueled inflation concerns in 2006 and 2007, leading to a series of central bank interest rate hikes that have slowed credit growth and eased inflation concerns. The huge and growing population is the fundamental social, economic, and environmental problem.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$2.966 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$1.099 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

9% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,600 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 17.8% industry: 29.4% services: 52.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

516.4 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 60% industry: 12% services: 28% (2003)

Unemployment rate:

7.2% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

25% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 31.1% (2004)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

36.8 (2004)

Investment (gross fixed):

33.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $141.2 billion expenditures: $172.6 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 April - 31 March

Public debt:

58.2% of GDP (federal and state debt combined) (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

6.4% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

6% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

13.02% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$250.9 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$647.3 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$769.3 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish

Industries:

textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software

Industrial production growth rate:

8.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

665.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

517.2 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

378 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

3.189 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 81.7% hydro: 14.5% nuclear: 3.4% other: 0.3% (2001)

Oil - production:

880,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

2.722 million bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

450,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:

2.159 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:

5.625 billion bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

31.7 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

41.7 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

10 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

1.075 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$12.11 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$151.3 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

petroleum products, textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals, leather manufactures

Exports - partners:

US 15%, China 8.7%, UAE 8.7%, UK 4.4% (2007)

Imports:

$230.5 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals

Imports - partners:

China 10.6%, US 7.8%, Germany 4.4%, Singapore 4.4% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$1.724 billion (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$275 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$149.2 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$95.96 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$37.5 billion (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$818.9 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

Indian rupee (INR)

Currency code:

INR

Exchange rates:

Indian rupees (INR) per US dollar - 41.487 (2007), 45.3 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003)

Communications India

Telephones - main lines in use:

38.76 million (2008)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

296.08 million (2008)

Telephone system:

general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid growth; local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public investors, but combined fixed and mobile telephone density remains low at about 30 for each 100 persons nationwide and much lower for persons in rural areas; rapid growth in cellular service with modest declines in fixed lines domestic: mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles each with about three private service providers and one state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system (INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture terminals (VSAT) international: country code - 91; a number of major international submarine cable systems, including Sea-Me-We-3 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Sea-Me-We-4 with a landing site at Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with a landing site at Cochin, the i2i cable network linking to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and data traffic; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); 9 gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam (2008)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)

Radios:

116 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

562 (1997)

Televisions:

63 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.in

Internet hosts:

2.707 million (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

43 (2000)

Internet users:

80 million (2007)

Transportation India

Airports:

346 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 250 over 3,047 m: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 52 1,524 to 2,437 m: 75 914 to 1,523 m: 84 under 914 m: 21 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 96 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 40 under 914 m: 47 (2007)

Heliports:

30 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate/gas 9 km; gas 7,488 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,861 km; oil 7,883 km; refined products 6,422 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 63,221 km broad gauge: 46,807 km 1.676-m gauge (17,343 km electrified) narrow gauge: 13,290 km 1.000-m gauge (165 km electrified); 3,124 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 3,316,452 km (includes 200 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterways:

14,500 km note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized vessels (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 501 by type: bulk carrier 102, cargo 241, carrier 1, chemical tanker 19, container 13, liquefied gas 18, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 11, petroleum tanker 92, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 12 (China 1, Germany 2, Hong Kong 1, UAE 6, UK 2) registered in other countries: 61 (Barbados 1, Comoros 2, Cyprus 2, Dominica 2, Liberia 2, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 27, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7, Singapore 13, unknown 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mormugao, Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam

Military India

Military branches:

Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force (Bharatiya Vayu Sena), Coast Guard (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

16 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women officers allowed in noncombat roles only (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 301,094,084 females age 16-49: 283,047,141 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 231,161,111 females age 16-49: 236,633,962 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 11,592,516 female: 10,636,857 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

2.5% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues India

Disputes - international:

since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other matters continue; various talks and confidence-building measures have cautiously begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India and Pakistan have maintained the 2004 cease fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the armed stand-off in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, to exchange territory for 51 Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections of the border; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine contested boundary sections, including the 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

refugees (country of origin): 77,200 (Tibet/China); 69,609 (Sri Lanka); 9,472 (Afghanistan) IDPs: at least 600,000 (about half are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: India is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; internal forced labor may constitute India's largest trafficking problem; men, women, and children are held in debt bondage and face forced labor working in brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroidery factories; women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage; children are subjected to forced labor as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups; India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; Indian women are trafficked to the Middle East for commercial sexual exploitation; men and women from Bangladesh and Nepal are trafficked through India for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation in the Middle East tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - India is on the Tier 2 Watch List for a fifth consecutive year for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007; despite the reported extent of the trafficking crisis in India, government authorities made uneven efforts to prosecute traffickers and protect trafficking victims; government authorities continued to rescue victims of commercial sexual exploitation and forced child labor and child armed combatants, and began to show progress in law enforcement against these forms of trafficking; a critical challenge overall is the lack of punishment for traffickers, effectively resulting in impunity for acts of human trafficking; India has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)